Key Facts

Overview

Victoria is a very large asteroid circling the sun between Mars and Jupiter, inside the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL does not treat Victoria as potentially hazardous, because its orbit never carries it near Earth.

One lap around the sun takes Victoria 1,300 days (3.56 years). Over that circuit it swings between 1.82 AU and 2.85 AU from the sun, travelling at an average of 19.53 km/s. At 115.1 kilometers across, Victoria is bigger than 99% of known asteroids — roughly the size of the U.S. state of Delaware.

Victoria has been watched long enough to time its spin: one full turn on its axis takes 8.66 hours.

Its spectral type — S on the Tholen scale, L on SMASSII — suggests Victoria holds magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum.

No Close Approaches

At their nearest, the orbits of Victoria and Earth stay 0.82 AU apart. That is a comfortable margin, and it holds at every point in the orbit.

Orbital simulations run by NASA JPL's CNEOS turn up no close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

The orbit of Victoria is pinned down by sightings going back to Sept. 18, 1850, the most recent officially logged on May 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center holds 3,834 observations behind that solution.

Accessibility and Exploration

The NHATS study does not rate Victoria as a realistic destination for a crewed mission.

Similar Objects

These objects follow orbits with much the same shape and tilt as Victoria:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.334 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2204
  • Inclination: 8.37°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 235.36°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 69.6°
  • Mean Anomaly: 215.76°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 115.08700 km
  • Magnitude: 7.31
  • Albedo: 0.163
  • Spectral type (Tholen): S
  • Spectral type (SMASS): L

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,300 days (3.56 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.53 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.85 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.82 AU
  • Rotation Period: 8.66 hours
  • Approx. Composition: magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

A ◯ pink circle marks where Victoria sits. It may fall outside your current field of view — use the controls below to change the position, location and time.